| table of contents | This week's tablehopper: where to get good pot. | ||
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MARCH 24, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO
Brrrr,
it was nippy last night. I was totally jonesing
for a bowl of phờ from this week’s restaurant
in the regular (a hazard of food writing—you Sadly
all the fun came to a screeching halt this
weekend when tech troubles came to roost at hopper
HQ (crashed external hard drive woes, no
access to my pictures, blah blah blah)—here’s
hoping my new Mac wunderkind brings Dead
Fred back to life. And soon. Sigh. Am looking forward to the chef Gemma dinner tonight at Ottimista, and getting out of town on Thursday and heading up to Sonoma for a couple days where I can get some writing done, and think about things besides crashed hard drives, and urban annoyances like the lack of parking in my neighborhood during a nightmarish amount of street work (uh, no, I am not keen on having to move my car at 7am, are you kidding?). Of course I am returning Saturday night for Whiskies of the World, a smooth and easy transition. Cheers to that.
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often get
wicked cravings for whatever you’re writing about). Last week
I had my own top picks for gettin’ heated, which included
some spicy dishes at Amber India for dinner,
a well-made Manhattan (ok, two) with Carpano
Antica (purr) while sitting at the bar at the
Washbag, joining a server at Poc Chuc in chomping on a habanero chile
(ow ow ow), and hittin’
the dancefloor at Mezzanine Friday night until late. 
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Now open in Hayes Valley is ~CAFÉ
ALTANO~, the place I mentioned that was taking over the former
Modern Tea space. On the menu: simple and straightforward Mediterranean-inspired
fare (pasta, pizza, panini, and more). Lunch and dinner. 602
Hayes St. at Laguna, 415-252-1200. UrbanDaddy noted
the opening of ~MORAK LOUNGE~, a new hookah bar and lounge
next to the Pork Store in the Mission. According to the post, there’s
a heated patio, communal leather sofas, and “traditional Middle
Eastern snacks like hummus, baba ghanoush and beef skewers,” plus
a variety of “hand-mixed flavors”
for the hookah. Eater also
highlighted that for now the lounge opens at
8pm on the weekends only. 3126 16th St. at Valencia, 415-626-5523. ~E&O
TRADING COMPANY’S~ new
executive chef, Arnold Eric Wong (former chef-owner of Eos
Restaurant
& Wine Bar in Cole Valley and Bacar in SOMA) will debut his brand-new menu
of contemporary Asian-inspired fare next Tuesday March 31st at the San Francisco
outpost. His new menu highlights local, organic, and sustainable ingredients
whenever possible. 314 Sutter St. at Grant, 415-693-0303. Speaking of ~BACAR~,
after a flurry of gossip last week about Bernie and Ruth Madoff’s
ties to the restaurant, I got this note of clarification from some
folks at the restaurant: “Multiple press affiliates announced … that
the Madoffs were major investors of Bacar, and some went so far as
to say that we had been subjected to seizure by the FBI. In actuality,
Ruth Madoff, invested a 2.5 percent stake in Bacar in 1999. In January
2007 another investor, Jon Jackson, bought out Ruth Madoff shares.
She has no other financial connection with the restaurant, or with
Bacar Investments LLC, which operates Bacar. Bacar is cooperating
with the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of
New [sic] to have the record officially cleared.” In case you wanted to see more about ~MIDI~ (it
opened on Friday), you can check out a video of it here. 185
Sutter St. at Kearny, 415-835-6400. Moving
into the 12 Galaxies space in the Mission
will be the ~BLUE MACAW~, a restaurant, bar, and club with
a focus on international music. I will have
more details in a few weeks, but the opening
is slated for April or May. 2565 Mission
St. at 22nd St. Also got more info about the ~PARKSIDE TAVERN~ project
that’s moving into the former ~RICK'S ALOHA CAFÉ~.
Larry Doyle, the chef at Johnny
Foley's Irish House in Union Square
is going to open a "food-driven" neighborhood tavern in
the space. There was an issue that was holding up ABC approval, but
it’s been resolved and the tavern is moving forward. Doyle
also mentioned there are plans for a farmers’ market in the
Sunset, so that’s good news. That’s all for now, stand
by for more details soon. 1940 Taraval St. at 29th Ave. In the Inner Sunset, a tablehopper
reader noted that ~SUKHOTHAI~ on 9th
and Irving closed and is becoming “Saigon Noodle House,” while
a post
on Yelp said it’s going to be
called “Thai Noodle Cafe.” Time will tell. 1319 9th Ave.
at Irving. Another closure: the North Beach location of ~LA
PARRILLA GRILL~ has shuttered.
279 Columbus Ave. at Broadway. Mark my words, ~2009 IS GOING TO BE THE YEAR OF
THE HOT DOG~. We have Absinthe coming
out of the gates with their house-made
wonder (scroll down to “upward
dog”), the gamey dogs at Broken
Record, and how timely, a reader
alerted me to Bratwurst Thursdays at Paragon,
offering a Fat Tire Ale, house-made bratwurst sandwich, fries,
sauerkraut, and beer mustard for $13. Starts at 5pm. 701 Second
St. at Townsend, 415-537-9020. (FYI,
Paragon is also serving up some smoky BBQ on
Wednesdays, including ribs, chicken, pulled pork, and tri-tip.) Another BBQ-related sidebar: this Saturday at ~MISSION
STREET FOOD~, you can preview
some of the dishes chef Charlie Kleinman will be serving at Wexler’s,
the upcoming upscale BBQ restaurant project in the old Les
Amis space in FiDi. Back on the dogs: construction is officially underway
for a doghouse (read: small restaurant and retail location) for ~LET'S
BE FRANK~, the
purveyor of grass-fed beef hot dogs and family-farmed pork brats
that you can find at the ballpark on game days. The (small) space
will open in the former Hahn’s Hibachi, and Cass Calder Smith
is the architect. Let's Be Frank on Steiner will be open daily,
and will be introducing a new spicy "Hot Dog" and a "Not
Dog" (a vegan variation), plus house-made toppings and sides,
like grass-fed beef chili made with heirloom beans (from Rancho Gordo), local
beers, and wines. There will also be retail packages of all their dogs, plus "party
packs" for parties of 4 to 140. The target opening date is the beginning
of April. 3318 Steiner St. at Chestnut. Also in
the ballpark: since the local restaurant
chain Compadres went out of business in December, ~TRES
AGAVES~ will be taking over
their three food stands at AT&T Park this season. On the
menu: a bacon-wrapped hot dog with chipotle
mayo in a lobster roll bun; ballpark nachos
with real cheese sauce, chopped carnitas,
and Tequila-marinated jalapeños; and Jaliscan
street-style tacos. Everything will be $5.50–$9.50.
Pre-season vs. A’s
starts Thursday April 2nd, and opening day
is Tuesday April 7th. Another thing on the rise: killer sandwiches!
A tablehopper reader (and chef) who knows how much I love a quality
sandwich wrote in to tell me about ~KITCHENETTE
SF~ in
Dogpatch, a lunchtime offshoot from caterer Living
Room Events. You can swing by to pick
up a sandwich from Monday through Friday, 11:30am–1:30pm. What’s
on the menu? Check out the site each
day for a full-tilt slobber fest. You know this sandwich had to have
been amazing: house ‘corned’ Marin Sun Farm brisket sandwich
with braised cabbage, apple farm apples, and caraway on an Acme roll
with mustardy potato salad, $8. I am hoping their fried chicken version
will be enough to sate my Bakesale Betty sandwich cravings. Ingredients
are organic and top-notch. Cash only, and supplies are limited, so
when they are gone, they are gone, yo. Just look for the garage door
at 958 Illinois Street in the American Industrial Center. Some FiDi workers know about ~THE
CHILL CAFÉ~ for picking
up frozen yogurt and desserts, but you might also want to know
this spot has started serving Vietnamese-style banh mi sandwiches
for lunch that highlight owner Trang Nguyen's family recipes.
Flavors include ham with pate, and chicken or tofu with house-made
lemongrass seasoning ($5.50 each). I’m gonna try to check
it out this week. 125 Kearny St. at Post, 415-433-1233. Drum roll please… It’s time for
your weekly meal deal update:
At ~MORTY'S
DELICATESSEN~ on Tuesdays,
you can get a Reuben and PBR for $7 (and woohoo, the Reuben
here roxx). There’s also spaghetti and meatballs on Thursdays,
fish fry Fridays, and some inexpensive wine specials to go
with ’em. Now open until 8pm Mon–Thu, and until
6pm on Fridays. I also heard the owner Tim is starting to show
local artists’ work on a monthly basis and is looking
for some restaurant/artist folks who might be interested in
hanging their work. 280 Golden Gate Ave. at Hyde, 415-567-3354. All the fancier places are getting in on the meal deals
too: ~CAMPTON
PLACE~ just kicked off The Stimulus
Menu, a three-course nightly dinner for $45. The special begins tonight.
340 Stockton St. at Sutter 415-781-5555. Speaking of fine dining, and why we need it to exist,
anyone who loves to dine out should check out this Food & Wine article, ~SHOULD
FINE DINING DIE?~ Gotta
love some free, and we gotta love our local
bookstores. This Thursday March 26th, Mark
Caro, the author of The
Foie Gras Wars, will be giving a talk and book signing at ~OMNIVORE
BOOKS~ from 6pm–7pm. And
on Saturday March 28th, Nicolette Niman (Bill Niman's
vegetarian wife) will be giving a talk and
signing her book, Righteous
Porkchop, from 3pm–4pm. I’d also recommend you get
a ticket to this before it fills up: on Monday
June 22nd, Michael
Pollan will be giving a talk to a limited audience of 40 people.
It’s a fundraiser for the Chez Panisse Foundation; tickets
are $40 per person and include a signed copy
of In Defense
of Food. It should be a great evening in an intimate setting.
6pm–8pm. Check out the entire line-up of authors and times here.
3885A Cesar Chavez St. at Church, 415-282-4712. Support
your local bookstore so they don’t end
up like the beloved ~COOK'S
LIBRARY~ in Los Angeles,
which is sadly closing
its doors after 20 years in business.
Apparently they're going to liquidate their stock and close up
in six weeks, with the last day scheduled
for April 30th.
Sigh. Another upcoming book-related event is a ~"NO-COOK" COOKING DEMO AND TALK WITH FOOD BLOGGER AMY SHERMAN~ at the Larkspur Library. She'll be talking about how she got started in food writing and what it was like to write a cookbook, and demonstrating four very easy appetizer recipes, including one from her latest book, New Flavors for Appetizers. A benefit for the library, $10 gets you tastes of each of the appetizers plus St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc or Bionade, an organic non-alcoholic beverage. The event is April 4th, 4:30pm–6:30pm at the Larkspur Library. Call the library at 415-927-5005 to reserve your spot. 400 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur. Also
that day (Saturday April 4th), one of Slow
Food founder Carlo Petrini's
favorite films, ~MR. BENE
GOES TO ITALY~,
will be screened at the Delancey Street Theater.
Here’s more: “Benedito
Batista da Silva, 60 years old, is considered
an authority when it comes to manioc
flour production
in the Brazilian Pará State, deep within the Amazon. This documentary
shows his trip from Bragança to Turin and back home. The encounter
of different cultures, of small-scale farmers
from all over the world and the enchantment
of coming into contact with European culture
blends with the profound emotional bond Mr. Bené forges
with his Italian host family.” Slow Food Rio leaders Teresa Corção
and Margarida Nogueira will be present for
the screening. The evening begins at 6:30pm
with a screening and panel discussion, followed
by a reception from 8pm–9pm. Tapas will
be available at the reception and wine pours
at an additional charge. $15. Buy
tickets here. Delancey Street Theater,
600 Embarcadero St. Want to brush up on your cooking skills? There are a variety of ~COOK WITH JAMES~ classes coming up, like how to make egg pappardelle noodles on Tuesday March 31st, or how to make the perfect roast chicken and Caesar salad on Wednesday April 8th. $65/person and includes wine. Check out all the upcoming classes here, including details on how to enter to win a Breville iKon LCD blender this month.
All kinds
of movie-and-pizza buffs mourned the closure
of the ~PARKWAY~ in
Oakland this past weekend—its last day of business was Sunday
March 22nd. Here’s more from the website: “It
was the first theater in California to offer
food, beer and wine service in a lounge style
movie theater. With a nudge or a push from
the community, there was little programming the Parkway theater would
not try in order to better be a community center and a safe haven
for diverse ideas…We,
at the Parkway Speakeasy Theater, are deeply
proud of the Parkway and will profoundly miss serving its community.
Thank you for your patronage. This decision does not affect the Cerrito
Speakeasy. Most of the Parkway's
regular and special events will move over
there.” And, scene.
1834 Park Blvd., Oakland. This Friday
March 27th, California olive
oil producers will be sampling their new
olive oils alongside author Fran Gage, who
will be discussing and signing her new book, The New
American Olive Oil–Profiles of Artisan Producers and 75 Recipes at
the ~PASTA
SHOP~ on Fourth Street in Berkeley.
Participating olive oil producers include
Bozzano, California Olive Ranch, DaVero,
Lucero, Katz, Le Colline di Santa Cruz, and
Robbins Family (there will also be storewide discounts). Free. RSVPs
appreciated here.
5:30pm–7pm. 1786 Fourth St. at Delaware, Berkeley, 510-250-6004. Coinciding
with the book signing, ~CAFÉ ROUGE~ (just
next door) will offer special menu items
featuring California extra virgin olive oils
from March 26th–29th.
1782 Fourth St. at Virginia, Berkeley, 510-525-1440. Got a hot tip? You know I’d love it (and you). Just reply to this email! |
Do
you miss Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of Rubicon’s
cookin’? Uh, yeah. Me too. You’ll be happy to learn they
are part of an all-star line-up of chefs cooking
at an upcoming event on Monday April 6th, ~CHEFS TO KNOW / DINE+SIGN~,
hosted by The City Club of San Francisco and 
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Wines
of Portugal invites you to
their 3rd Annual Wine Tasting in San Francisco. It’s
a stellar tasting where you will truly discover the diversity
of Portugal, tasting over 250 wines from all of Portugal's
main wine regions. Light appetizers will also be served. This
is an ideal event to help you start your weekend early, right
after a hard day's work. Not only
will you get to taste fabulous wines, you
will also be doing your part to support WomenHeart,
the only national organization dedicated
to promoting women’s
heart health through advocacy, education,
and patient support. 100%
of all proceeds from ticket
sales will go to WomenHeart to
improve the health and quality of life of
women living with or at risk of heart disease. Tickets: only $35 if purchased at least two days before the event date; $50 if purchased at the door. RSVP early—tickets cost less, and this event will sell out. RSVP here. Thursday, April 16th, 2009 |
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Pot de Phờ 415-668-0826 Sun–Thu
11am–9:30pm Apps
$5–$6.50
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MARCH 24, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Finding
good ethnic food in the City is like an urban
hunting ritual, often tempting food fiends
into dark alleys, back rooms, and sketchy bodegas in pursuit of “the authentic.”
I am grateful for the street stands and scrungy delis and random food windows
I’ve been known to frequent, along with the usually low price point that
will help us all get through this crap economy. But the
other side of the coin is many of these places
are using cheap ingredients that I really don’t want to know
the provenance of. It’s a hard thing to reconcile: I love street
food and ethnic cheap eats, but the sub-par and most likely not very
natural or sustainable or organic ingredients (especially the proteins)
can pose a conundrum to someone trying to eat consciously. I don’t
like having to throw my philosophy out the window about how animals
should be raised or what I want to put into my body as soon as I
walk up to a taco truck and say, “Dos tacos di lengua, por
favor.”
Because you can’t really say, “Si, con salsa picante. But
please hold the antibiotics.” I’m pleased to see places like Papalote and Out
the Door and now Nopalito that are committed to using quality ingredients
without sacrificing authenticity, because some places don’t “get
it”—I don’t necessarily want “healthy” street
food, just well-made street food that still
rings in at a decent price. ~POT DE PHỜ~,
the Vietnamese restaurant that opened about
a year ago in the former Straits Café and Spanish
Fly Wine & Tapas Bar location in the Inner Richmond is another
place trying to balance the quality and authenticity
equation. I was
curious and tried Pot de Phờ about a month
after it opened back in the beginning of 2008, but wasn’t that enchanted
with it, so I didn’t write it up on tablehopper. I was recently
invited to try it, and figured what the heck,
I might as well go check it out again. I
found things had greatly improved, and am
already looking forward to returning. Executive
chef Khai Duong is also behind Ana
Mandara—this is his casual
offshoot. The colonial-meets-CB2 décor
is a far cry from the usual florescent
lights and old fading beers posters of
most phờ spots. Here you'll find walls
painted with a bamboo pattern, birdcages hanging from the ceiling,
dark wood tables, bright green walls, leather chairs, and a glass
case in the back with a display of some ingredients that go into
making phờ (no,
you won’t find any small
stuffed dogs, har). I was almost happy
to see some random holiday lights in the back—keepin’ it
real in March, yo. There’s
also a vintage phờ cart in the back made of teak—we
need some of these roaming the City. So, first
things first: do you know how to say phờ?
Just in case you don’t, it’s
pronounced fuh. See,
now you are so pro because you don't call
it pho. And here’s a little more background for you: Pot de Phờ’s
website says the French colonists of the 1880s are responsible for
the existence of phờ in Vietnam, inspired by the classic French boiled
dish of “pot au feu,” hence the restaurant’s clever
name. The beef
phờ version here features a broth made with
all-natural Masami Farms Wagyu/American Kobe-style beef bones and
alkalinized water (chef Khai found an ionizing and filtering machine
in Japan); the broth simmers for at least ten hours, and is rich
and deep with the flavors of herbs and spices, and a definite note
of star anise. You can choose from rare steak to well-done steak,
plus well-done shank. While I missed some of the more outré phờ
options, like beef balls and tendon and tripe, the version with the
tender rare beef (Phờ Bò Tái) was enough to keep me
coming back just for that. They are all $8.75
for a medium bowl, or $10 for a large. Yeah, a large bowl of combo beef phờ at most down-and-dirty
phờ places around town is $5 or $6, and can be damned delicious,
but do I want to bring a date there? Uh, no. And do I want to trace
the lineage of the rare beef in my bowl there? Er, maybe not. A few
unique things about the phờ service here:
it comes with lemon, not lime; bean spouts
come already in the bowl and not alongside
it; the handmade flat rice noodles are a
bit thicker than what some places use around
town; side accoutrements include onion that's
lightly pickled, plus basil leaves and saw leaf. I also noted the
broth had less globules of fat in it than I’m
used to seeing (my body keeps reminding me
this is a good thing, but the brain disagrees). Squirt
bottles of house-made hoisin and sriracha
came with a little dish to put them in—I just learned you’re
supposed to dip the meats and any vegetables from your phờ into the
sauce, instead of putting the sauces in the broth. To be honest,
I didn’t even want to add a single drop of anything to the
already-complex broth here—it was such a pleasure to taste
on its own. On my first visit, I had the chicken phờ made with
organic and free-range chicken, quite delicious. But the beef version
is the one I really adored. Vegetarians and vegans will be happy
to know there is a vegan variation with tofu and mushrooms, and no
MSG, meow. There’s much more than phờ here. The menu of
starters has really expanded, with dishes like Bánh Khoai
Môn ($5.50), minced duck with taro and water chestnuts that
unexpectedly arrived like hot little breaded lollipops on sticks.
Yeah, those went fast. The Chả Giò Tôm Thịt ($6.25),
the classic dish of crispy Vietnamese spring
rolls stuffed with vermicelli, pork, and
shrimp were well executed, and not greasy. You wrap up the hot roll
in the little leaves of fresh lettuce with some mint, and then dip
it all into the accompanying nuoc cham, the traditional tangy-sweet
dipping sauce with a bit of chili in it. A standout
to me was the green papaya salad (Gỏi Đu
Đủ Tôm Thịt, $6.75)—it had sliced prawns that were plump
and sweet. There was also notable heat to
it, more than I've ever had in this kind of salad. Chef Khai said the heat
is indicative of where he grew up (the middle
of Vietnam). It really came together, popping with flavor, texture,
and color. I also
tried the Bún Chả Ha Nội ($12.50), a
bento box with skewers of BBQ pork and rice
noodles that you wrap up in lettuce and dunk
away into the nuoc cham. The pork was so tender, a far cry from the
typically leathery morsels I have encountered elsewhere. There
are plenty of options for vegetarians here,
and this is exactly the kind of spot where
I’d bring someone who
wanted to try Vietnamese food for the first
time—the place
is not only stylish, but also quite clean.
Now that I got some of the menu basics out of the way, I’m
already plotting my next culinary moves: shrimp paste on sugarcane
(a favorite dish of mine), and the meatballs. One drawback
is the service—both times I found
the staff to be really nice, but you can languish at the table waiting
for your plates to be cleared, to order dessert, or get your check.
If you have somewhere to be, something you want, or are ready to
go, don’t depend on service to be intuitive. I saw
a bit of take-out business, so I made a mental
note on that. I also think it’s ideal for a lunch meeting (the
space is very tranquil), a first date (although I wouldn’t
necessarily want to slurp noodles on a first date—I’d
stick with easier items to eat and share),
and I can imagine this would be a good kid-friendly
spot, once you figured out if your kids liked the BBQ pork and crispy
rolls. While
Turtle Tower on Larkin is one of my Vietnamese
favorites for phờ (and bless the chef there who actually uses free-range
chicken and makes those divine noodles), I’m happy to have
the option of Pot de Phờ in rotation, which,
how handy, is open past 7:30pm. |
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|
How timely,
we’re still in the
“r” months, and ~DISTRICT~ is
now offering $1 oysters every day during happy hour (4pm–6pm on the weekdays,
and 5pm–7pm on Saturdays)! 216 Townsend St. at 3rd St., 415-896-2120. ~LAÏOLA~ has
just hired Brooke Arthur (a talented bartender
from Range)
to consult on the bar menu and work behind
the bar once a week. 2031 Chestnut St. at
Fillmore, 415-346-5641. Cow Hollow folks, you should note that ~SPUNTINO~,
the cheese shop offshoot from Ottimista,
now has their retail wine and beer license.
The majority of wines are priced at $20 or less, with some for only
$10, ranging from Italian wines, to French, Spanish, and California
wines, and even some from Argentina, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.
1957 Union St. at Buchanan, 415-931-6410. A tablehopper reader wanted to point out that ~ADESSO~,
the new project from the folks at Dopo, is
hosting quite the happy hour, offering free
food with drinks from 5pm–7pm Mon–Sat.
As the reader noted, “Not just any food either, but a substantial
survey of the house-made salumi solo and in small sandwich and toast
form. They also repeat this in the evening at 10:30pm for an industry
happy hour.” 4395 Piedmont Ave. at Pleasant Valley, 510-601-0305. In case
you’re curious about some of the treats
at Adesso, some of their salumi will be at
a ~DONKEY
AND A GOAT’S~ open
house this Saturday March 28th (along
with some other edibles). Ten wines will
be poured. The $20 admission includes a souvenir
Riedel glass that you can keep, or BYOG (bring
your own glass) and come in for $15, cash
only at the door. 1pm–5pm.
2323 B 4th St. at Bancroft, Berkeley, 510-868-9174. On Saturday April 4th, ~THE EAST BAY VINTNERS ALLIANCE~ is going to host the 2nd Annual Passport to the East Bay Wine Trail. Fourteen wineries, some of which are not normally open to the public, will be pouring at seven locations that are within ten miles or so of each other. The participating wineries include Adams Point, Andrew Lane, Aubin Cellars, Dashe Cellars, Eno Wines, Irish Monkey, JC Cellars, Periscope Cellars, Prospect 772, Rosenblum Cellars, Stage Left Cellars, Tayerle Wines, Two Mile, and Urbano Cellars. Each location will offer food to go along with the tasting, and some will provide entertainment. Participants will receive a passport booklet detailing all the wineries along with a souvenir glass. $30 (if you purchase your tickets online here). When you visit the website, you will choose your starting location, allowing you to map your path for the day. You can also buy tickets for $45 at the door at the seven host wineries. (Designated drivers pay only $10 to encourage responsible drinking.) 12pm–5pm. One
of my favorite mother-and-son duos, ~JOYCE AND
EVAN GOLDSTEIN~, are hosting an event, Perfect
Pairings, at Draeger’s Cooking
School in San Mateo on Thursday April 16th.
Explore three varietals of wine, learn
which foods pair well with them, and enjoy
tastings of food and wine partners. On
the menu: dry riesling and baked rockfish
with spicy peanut sauce; syrah and pork chile verde; and sparkling
wine and ricotta cake with berries. Demo at 6:30pm, $65. 222 East
Fourth Ave., San Mateo, 650-685-3704. |
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Easter Various locations |
MARCH 24, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO Here’s a roundup of locations where you can feast on ~EASTER BRUNCH~ or take the little ones for an Easter egg hunt that will leave you saying, “Thank you Easter Bunny, bwok bwok!” ~DOSA
ON FILLMORE~ is serving unique
Easter brunch items that include a strawberry-banana uttapam
(pancake style version of a dosa, $12), and an egg poriyal
dosa (dosa filled with a South Indian scramble of organic eggs,
chiles, tomatoes, and onions, $10). Daytime beverages include
a bloody Mary curry ($8.50) and elderflower mimosas ($9). ~BACAR~ is
hosting an Easter Bonnet Brunch from 10am–3pm. On the menu:
cheese biscuits & gravy; country bread French toast and fruit;
eggs just the way you like them; smoked salmon rillette and toasted
brioche; and wild mushroom and spinach quiche. The menu is viewable
online. ~BAR
BAMBINO~ is hosting
a three-course prix-fixe brunch menu for $45 per person from
11am–3pm. The menu will include Italian holy week classics
like Neapolitan Easter bread and minestra di Pasqua, in addition
to lamb with peas, eggs with prosciutto, and other Easter favorites. ~THE
RITZ-CARLTON, SAN FRANCISCO~ hosts
a splashy Easter brunch buffet in The Terrace Restaurant with
seafood, salads, hand-carved meats, a build-your-own omelet
station, cheeses, seasonal fruits, selection of European-inspired
desserts, and there’s a jazz trio. Served from 10am–4pm.
Adults $98, children five to 12 years of age $49, plus tax
and gratuity. There is also a children’s petting zoo,
with long-eared bunnies, baby chicks, and ducklings. The complimentary
Easter egg hunts starts at noon and 2pm. Reserved for guests
dining or staying at the hotel. At ~SILKS
RESTAURANT~, a special
Easter brunch will be offered from 9am–1pm. There will
be an endless flow of mimosas, and dishes like cilantro-cured
and grilled Atlantic salmon; scrambled eggs; plus Asian-inspired
brunch dishes like carrot ginger soup, chilled soba noodle
salad with marinated prawns, and dim sum. There will also be
a dessert table with a wide array of sweet endings. $49 for
adults and $25 for children. North of the City, ~RICKEY'S
RESTAURANT
& BAR~ in Novato is offering an expanded Easter brunch. There
will be seven stations,including breads and pastries; omelettes; vanilla pancakes
and eggs Benedict; salads; a carving station; sides and desserts. There will
also be cookie and card-decorating stations, as well as an outdoor Easter egg
hunt. Brunch is from 11am–2:30pm; the Easter
Bunny arrives at 1pm, with a 2pm egg hunt. $29.95 for adults, $27 for seniors
(65+), $14.95 for children (5–12), and those under five are free. ~MARTINI HOUSE~ is serving an Easter three-course prix-fixe menu for $45. From 11:30am–7pm, along with the regular à la carte menu. South
of the City in Redwood City, ~SOFITEL
SAN FRANCISCO BAY~ is hosting
a brunch with nine buffet and live stations, along with a chocolate
fountain, beverages, and a complimentary glass of Champagne
per person. Seatings are available at 10am or 12:30pm. $55
for adults and $25 for children 5–12 years old, and children
under five are free. |
|
Share
Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation Acme
Chophouse 1-877-26-TASTE 6pm–11pm $75
general admission |
MARCH
24, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO ~SHARE
OUR STRENGTH’S TASTE OF THE NATION~, a
culinary benefit that raises critical funds needed to end
childhood hunger in San Francisco and across America, returns
to San Francisco, . One hundred
percent of ticket sales help ensure no child in America grows
up hungry. The evening will begin with a tasting reception hosted
by chef Jamie Lauren (Absinthe) and more than 20 of the region's best
restaurants and bartenders—all of whom have come together to donate
their time, talent, and passion. The tasting event (only) is
$75, and includes savory and sweet tastings from 20-plus restaurants
in the Field Club Lounge, signature cocktails, beer, wine, and a raffle. You can read the extensive lineup of restaurants and chefs for the tasting event here. There will
then be a multi-course dinner with Traci Des Jardins (Jardinière,
ACME Chophouse, and Mijita); Thom Fox (ACME Chophouse); Chris Cosentino
(Incanto and Boccalone); Elizabeth Falkner (Citizen Cake and Orson);
Koren Grieveson (Avec, Chicago, IL); Gavin Kaysen (Cafe Boulud,
New York, NY); and Michael Symon (Iron Chef USA, Lola, Lolita, Cleveland,
OH). A VIP gala
dinner and tasting event ticket is $250, and includes early admission
to the tasting event in the Field Club Lounge, an exclusive chefs' cocktail
reception at ACME Chophouse, seated dinner with premium wine
pairings, silent and live auctions, and a VIP gift bag. |
|
MARCH 24, 2009 | SAN FRANCISCO John Cleese dined
at One Market Restaurant, and was reportedly
a “delightful guest, funny and gracious.”
He ate a lighter version of the mushroom potpie.
How, you wonder? He ate it without the pastry
top. A tablehoppin’ reader
spotted Forest Whitaker sipping
a cappuccino at Douce France cafe in Palo
Alto. The reader says, “He
was very friendly and told me he frequents
Palo Alto to visit a friend and likes to
stop in at Douce France for good espresso drinks.” Last Monday night, Pisco Latin Lounge played host to
British Pop legend Petula Clark, Sharon McKnight, Sally
Kellerman (MASH’s original “Hot Lips” Houlihan), Freda
Payne, Paula West, and several jazz and R&B pros,
plus American Idol finalist David Hernandez. Here are
a few pics. And American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi was spotted at brunch at Elite Cafe. Not sure if anyone had to sing for their supper. Of
course all the food folks were wondering where
was Anthony Bourdain (Tony to his friends) going
to pop up this past week while filming here in SF. One tablehopper
reader wrote in about the flurry of people watching and calling out
to him at the Ferry Building Farmers’ Market
on Saturday. My friend Mary Ladd, AKA Jalapeño
Girl, a friend of his, was on the
town with him and her husband Oscar Villalon—they met with
Tony at Tadich Grill on Friday afternoon,
and on Sunday they hit up Benders and strolled
the Mission. Eater pulled together some
twitter sightings, you can read them all here. |
Help
With Support Services for the Homeless: Event Donations
Needed |
All content © 2009 Marcia Gagliardi. I am more than happy if you want to link to my reviews and content elsewhere (thanks, glad you dig it), but republishing any part of them in any way, shape or form is strictly prohibited until we talk first. Please take a look at my Creative Commons license for more detail.
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